I Transmigrated and Already Had a Wife - Chapter 44

She knew very well in her heart what this meant.

If she didn’t agree, her mother, Jiang Zhou, and she would never be able to leave Qingzhou alive.

She could only pretend to agree to persuade her father, and then make plans to escape.

The current situation seemed to align perfectly with the dream Jiang Zhou had told her about: her maternal uncle was the Crown Prince’s man, and the evidence to save her father was in her uncle’s hands.

If that were true, she had to get the evidence quickly.

But…

She found the current political situation a little confusing.

According to what her father once said, the Crown Prince was narrow-minded, and the Fourth Prince was a wise and benevolent ruler who would surely benefit the people in the future. Now, it seemed her father might have been mistaken. That Fourth Prince had a gloomy expression and deep, inscrutable thoughts. Such a person would definitely not be an enlightened ruler.

She had once considered seeking help from the Fourth Prince, but now it seemed that path was closed. The most important thing now was how to get the evidence and escape.

“You’re not lying to me?” Jiang Zhou’s clear, water-washed eyes stared at her, confirming again, still feeling uneasy.

Lin Muwan said helplessly, “No, I’m not lying to you. Do you want to go out for a stroll together now?”

Jiang Zhou pursed her lips, trying to keep them from turning up, and reluctantly said, “Fine, I’ll go for a stroll with you.”

Lin Muwan chuckled, teasing, “Where do you want to go later?”

Jiang Zhou looked away; her face slightly flushed. After a moment of thought, she said, “Let’s go out and eat something delicious. We’ve been here for so long, and we haven’t tried the local specialty dishes yet.”

Lin Muwan smiled faintly, saying nothing.

“You don’t want to go?” Jiang Zhou took her cold hands and tucked them back into her own palms. “If you don’t want to go, we won’t. It’s not like I desperately want to, and the weather in Qingzhou is a bit cold, and you’re not wearing enough.”

“Then let’s go eat some delicious specialty dishes. We won’t return to the manor for lunch.”

“Okay. Then let’s have the maids go to the room to fetch the cloaks.” Jiang Zhou saw the two maids had returned and were standing a short distance away with their heads bowed. She squeezed Lin Muwan’s hand, affectionately bringing it to her lips to blow warm air on it.

Lin Muwan, seeing that the person had been successfully placated, let out a light laugh and joked, “It just entered winter, and it’s Qingzhou’s first snow. It’s not as exaggerated as you make it sound. Besides, if I wear a heavy cloak now, what will I wear when it gets even colder?”

“How can it not be cold? Look at how cold your hands are.”

Lin Muwan’s eyes were full of tenderness. She thought Jiang Zhou was being a little overly dramatic. She had suffered from a cold constitution since childhood, and her hands and feet were always cool even in summer. She was used to it and didn’t mind.

She also found Jiang Zhou’s anxious look truly endearing. She pulled one hand free to smooth down the stray hair near Jiang Zhou’s temples and said seriously, “We can add another layer of clothes, but let’s skip the cloak.”

“Oh,” Jiang Zhou took her hand back, wrapping it up again, and reluctantly replied, “What if you get cold?”

“If I get cold, won’t I, have you?”

“Hmm?” Jiang Zhou’s eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly. “That’s right! If you get cold, you still have me. I will keep you warm.”

Lin Muwan nodded helplessly after hearing this, afraid that if she spoke again, she might blurt out something embarrassing. She proactively took Jiang Zhou’s hand. “Let’s go. I’m waiting for you to take me out to eat the local specialty dishes.”

“Wait a moment.” Jiang Zhou immediately called the maids, sending them to fetch clothes. She then took Lin Muwan to wait inside the carriage first.

When the maids returned, Jiang Zhou personally draped the clothes over her.

After the carriage had traveled for a while, “Where are we going?” Lin Muwan leaned lazily against Jiang Zhou, and yawned as she spoke.

“Sleepy?” Jiang Zhou reached for the fleece blanket prepared in the carriage and covered her, then gently rubbed her temples with a hint of distress.

“Since you became pregnant, it’s been nearly three months. Why are you still so easily tired? Why don’t we find a medical hall later to check? I’m always worried.”

Lin Muwan was genuinely sleepy. She took Jiang Zhou’s massaging hand and placed it on her cheek, closing her eyes as she said, “It’s alright. Didn’t the doctor say that some symptoms might last until delivery?”

“Then lie on my lap and sleep for a bit.” Jiang Zhou pursed her lips. They should have returned to the manor, but the opportunity was rare, and she absolutely had to go to Mingpin Tower.

Mingpin Tower was spread across every prefecture in Baisheng, arguably the largest restaurant chain in Baisheng. The owner was backed by the Prime Minister’s residence, and it was also rumored that Mingpin Tower’s internal network was a powerful intelligence system. All matters, big and small, in Baisheng could not escape Mingpin Tower’s surveillance, making it a target for all the princes to court.

Unfortunately, the current Prime Minister was only loyal to the current Emperor, and Mingpin Tower naturally maintained a neutral stance.

Jiang Zhou was fortunate enough to have been gifted a portion of the shares by Miss Ming, the owner’s daughter, and with Miss Ming’s token in hand, she was considered a small shareholder of Mingpin Tower.

The carriage slowly stopped in front of Mingpin Tower. “My wife, we have arrived.”

She had planned to wake her up later, but it was already lunchtime, and Lin Muwan was pregnant and easily hungry.

She worried that her wife would be starving.

“Hmm~” Lin Muwan mumbled a response, with a thick nasal tone, her voice soft and light like the cry of a kitten.

It made Jiang Zhou’s ears tingle, and she couldn’t resist pinching her cheek.

Putting aside what just happened, her wife was becoming more and more adorable. She wondered if it was her imagination, but as the months of pregnancy increased, Lin Muwan seemed to become softer and liked to cling to her more.

Except for special circumstances, they almost always slept in each other’s arms every night, and Lin Muwan was not averse to her proximity or kisses.

Jiang Zhou loved it immensely. She simply scooped her up, blanket and all, into her embrace and pecked at her lips in a series of light, playful kisses.

Until this moment of warmth was broken. “Mister, we’ve arrived.”

Jiang Zhou froze, her heart pounding. She closed her eyes. The tactless maid! Speaking up at a moment like this.

She scratched her head and replied grumpily, “I know.”

Lin Muwan hid her face in Jiang Zhou’s neck, blushing, and giggled softly.

She was startled to the point of almost losing it, and her wife could still laugh.

The sun was high outside. The maid placed a low stool down. Jiang Zhou lifted the carriage curtain, jumped straight off the carriage, glanced at the obstructive stool, wrapped her arms around Lin Muwan’s waist, and with a gentle lift, set her down steadily on the ground.

The two maids bowed their heads, conscientiously avoiding looking at the intimacy between their masters.

Being suddenly carried in public, Lin Muwan’s face immediately turned red. She hit Jiang Zhou’s arm, glared at her, broke free of her hand, and strode towards Mingpin Tower.

The shameless rogue! She actually carried her on the street!

“Hey, put on your clothes! You just woke up; be careful not to catch a chill.”

On the street, a woman could be seen walking quickly ahead, followed by a handsome young man holding a cloak.

This drew the attention of the pedestrians.

Jiang Zhou took two steps at once, quickly draping the clothes over her. She glanced back, a mocking sneer at the corner of her mouth, but only for an instant before her face was replaced with an ingratiating smile.

“What are you looking at?” Lin Muwan paused, turned her head to look behind, but saw nothing unusual in the crowded street.

She looked suspiciously at Jiang Zhou.

“Nothing. Let’s go in first.” Jiang Zhou put an arm around her waist and lowered her voice. “Someone is following us.”

Lin Muwan tried to peek out, but Jiang Zhou held her back. “Don’t look.”

She pursed her lips.

It must be the people her uncle arranged. He was worried she would run away.

She felt a bit disheartened. After all, this was the uncle who watched her grow up, and she never expected them to end up like this.

Jiang Zhou, on the other hand, was not worried at all. She had anticipated this from the moment Lin Muwan suggested going out. Zhao Mao had his men search the entire General’s manor, sealed the city gates, and after several days, failed to find a trace. He would never simply give up searching for something so important.

He was just trying to make the person who stole the ledger drop their guard.

She believed that everyone entering and leaving the General’s manor would be followed.

She wasn’t worried about this at all; in fact, she was afraid they wouldn’t follow.

Now that the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince were both in Qingzhou, she knew that relying solely on the men Xiao Qi left behind, or even her going to the capital to take the military examination, would not be enough to completely escape their control. She needed a bargaining chip, and one that they would all fear. That’s why she came to Mingpin Tower.

Upon entering Mingpin Tower, Jiang Zhou went directly to the manager, openly pulled out the token, and the manager respectfully invited them into a private room.

Looking out the window, the person who was following them, as expected, looked around, secretly left, and returned to the General’s manor to report.

“What? Are you serious?” Zhao Mao’s emotions were roused, his eyes glowing. He braced his hands on the desk, calming himself for a moment.

Jiang Zhou actually had a token from Mingpin Tower. This was a pleasant surprise. If they had the support of Mingpin Tower, and then managed to convince Lin Shang, who else in the court could challenge the Crown Prince’s position? When the Crown Prince eventually ascended the throne, he would be the chief assisting minister, and the Zhao family could restore its former glory as a prominent clan.